Britain's Natural History Museum Unveils Huge Whale Skeleton

The whale skeleton comes from a creature that died in 1891 off the coast of Ireland

A blue whale skeleton goes on display in Hintze Hall at the Natural History Museum in London, replacing Dippy the Diplodocus which will be going on a nationwide tour of museums and galleries, photo: PA Wire/Steve Parsons via AP

LONDON – Britain’s Natural History Museum in London suspended a gigantic skeleton of a blue whale in its main entrance Thursday, drawing attention to vanishing species in an environment under strain.

Scientists named the 25.2-meter (82-foot) whale Hope, recognizing the role of science in safeguarding the environment. The immense creature seems to fly over the atrium and its visitors — a visible reminder of nature’s power.

“It is our hope for the future that we can use good science and good evidence to make the right kind of decisions about these big environmental issues,” said Michael Dixon, the museum’s director.

The whale replaced the much-loved Dippy, a dinosaur cast in plaster that graced the entryway for decades. Although the replica of a diplodocus attained the status of an icon, the museum believed a real specimen better suited their mission to study and conserve the planet.

Dippy’s fans are not satisfied. Ruaridh Arrow, who signed a petition to save Dippy, is concerned the change will “expel the magic.”

“The first thing you want to see is the dinosaur,” he said of the museum. “This space seems empty … It looks like a weird bird.”

The whale skeleton comes from a creature that died in 1891 off the coast of Ireland. The museum bought the specimen and has had displayed it in the mammal section since 1934.